Von Sydow and Redford -- Elevator Scene

I just rewatched this film after almost ten years and man does it ever hold up.

The scene that had me smiling ear to ear was the elevator scene between Von Sydow's Joubert and Redford's Condor.

It occurs to me that Joubert could've killed him several times in that lift. No security cameras. He could've strangled him or shot him dead and left the body behind.

But instead he cryptically opens conversation with Joseph, knowing full well that Joseph is intelligent and intuitive. The two of them clearly size each other up in that very moment. It's almost as if he's giving Joseph a fighting chance to outwit him.

The smile across his face when Joseph insists he exit first, as well as the one he has when Joseph uses the crowd to mask him on the street make him such an intriguing villain.

It's almost as if he respects Joseph and his drive and will to survive.